Charity challenges people to spend Friday without phones

Charity Save the Children has challenged smartphone users to spend Friday 7 October without their device as part of a campaign highlighting the problem of mobile-phone addiction.

'Phoneless Friday' is Save the Children’s response to results of a survey which found that millions of Britons would "not be able to cope" if they left their phone at home.

The survey questioned 2,032 adults about their attitudes to smartphone use and found that while the majority said they were sensitive to certain smartphone habits, many admitted engaging in such behaviours themselves.

For example, 48 per cent of respondents said they consider it rude when people fail to look where they are going while texting. However, 17 per cent of respondents admitted having been in a situation when they walked into something while using their phone.

Approximately 64 per cent of people said they consider texting while talking to someone extremely rude, but almost a fifth of the respondents admitted they had found themselves in situations when they stopped listening to someone speaking because they were using their phone.

More than half said they find bad phone-related manners frustrating, in particular people who speak loudly on their phones while using public transport (66 per cent), and people who text at the dinner table (53 per cent).

One in 10, however, admitted missing their stop on public transport because they were using a smartphone. Around 43 million Britons regularly use smartphones to contact each other and in just a few years this has transformed the rules of traditional British etiquette, according to researchers.

The research came after an Ofcom report revealed people are spending more than 24 hours a week online.

"Phoneless Friday is a fun new fundraiser to challenge people to get their friends together, give up their phones for one day, and donate," said Save the Children fundraising director Nick Jones.

"Whether at work, at home or in the pub, we've all got that one mate who is glued to their phone, so it's about watching them squirm as they long to check Instagram, or watching them try and work out how to get somewhere without their map app."

People who want to take part in the event are asked to visit phonelessfriday.org.uk to contribute £5 to the charity, which works towards supporting vulnerable children across the country.